The Carolina Hurricanes are back at home as they take on former Hurricanes Andrew Ladd and the Winnipeg Jets.

The Hurricanes are currently still in third place and first in their division (based on games played) and have a chance to go a full game up on Tampa Bay with a win against Winnipeg and a Lightning loss against Boston.

However, for the Canes to get that crucial win, they are going to have to do so without a lot of their core players. Carolina will be without Jeff Skinner (concussion), Tim Gleason (lower body, day-to-day), Joni Pitkanen (lower body, day-to-day), Tim Brent (lower body, day-to-day), and now Jamie McBain (upper body, out one to two weeks). With McBain out, Kitchener Ranger call-up Ryan Murphy will suit up for the Canes in his first NHL game. Murphy, an offensive-defense-man will be under the tutelage of Jay Harrison tonight; as Muller is forced to make more line changes to accommodate for the rash of injuries.

The Jets are a very vulnerable team who is only 3-7-0 in their last ten games. They will be without Tobias Enstrom, Antti Miettinen, Al Montoya, and Zach Redmond. Redmond suffered a freak leg injury in an afternoon skate when he slipped and was then stepped on by a fellow teammate. Redmond has said to have lost quite a bit of blood, but the Jets training staff says he should be alright. Redmond has been escorted by ambulance to the hospital.

News and Notes

Ryan Murphy is the first Hurricanes/Whalers call-up since 1983, and the first significant call-up since November 14, 1981, when the Whalers called up current assistant head coach and former Hurricane/Whaler great: Ron Francis.

Former Hurricane and current Jet Andrew Ladd will be playing in his 500th career regular season game tonight.

"The National Weather Service has issued a HURRICANE WARNING; stay in doors because Jets will be falling out of the sky, shrapnel rain and crushed hope are a definite!!!"

I'm excited to see how Murphy plays, it's pretty much a win-win situation for the Canes.

If he performs well, he could easily be paired with Jay Harrison in the bottom six next year, but if he performs really well; he could be used as a trade asset to bring back a top four defense-man.

The benefit of having Murphy is that he is similar to Pitkanen, Corvo, and McBain. So what you have get in Murphy; you can also get in those other three if a trade presents itself where the Canes can unload Murphy for a top four defense-man.

I know he was trying to make a play on both hits, but he needs to remember that he needs to think of his safety first.

The first hit (which if I read right, was not the hit that concussed him), he held on to the puck to long and got obliterated.

The second hit (which is the hit I believe he was concussed on), he turned into (I guess it would be away) from the hit causing himself to go into the boards. If he doesn't turn toward the boards and stays side ways, he doesn't get concussed from the hit.